UAlbany head coach Will Brown directs his players against Vermont during the first half of the America East Tournament semifinal Men's basketball game in Albany, N.Y., Sunday, March 9, 2014.(Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: HP110

Growing up on Long Island, young Will Brown dreamed the dream. Little Will wanted to be a big-time basketball player, so he routinely would leave his family's home in Miller Place to go play ball. Often times, his destination to work on jump shots and cross over dribbles was Pritchard Gym, on the campus of Stony Brook.

"I grew up playing there," said Brown, who did not become good enough to start for the New York Knicks. "They used to have three courts playing sideways. In the winter, when I could not go down to Port Jefferson, I would go to Pritchard."

Stony Brook is six, maybe seven miles from where Brown grew up. He said he has fond memories of tiny Pritchard, and Saturday, the men's basketball coach at the University at Albany hopes to create some more.

Brown will be looking for his second straight America East championship when UAlbany travels to the old stomping grounds of its coach.

For the second straight season, the Danes will try to pull off an upset on the road and get a ticket to the NCAA Tournament. UAlbany (17-14) is the fourth seed in the America East Tournament and gets a shot at No. 2.

Last year, the Danes overcame a hostile environment in Burlington and upset second-seeded Vermont.

More Information

America East championship

UAlbany (17-14) vs. Stony Brook (23-9)

When: 11:30 a.m. Saturday

Where: Pritchard Gym, Stony Brook

TV/Radio: ESPN2/WOFX (980 AM)

Here we go again.

The Danes were at Pritchard on March 2 and dropped a 73-68 decision to the Seawolves. That was supposed to have been the final game ever at Pritchard, which opened its doors in 1964. Next season, Stony Brook is moving into the $21.1 million, 4,000-seat Stony Brook Arena.

After UAlbany knocked off top-seeded Vermont in the America East semifinals, Stony Brook became the highest-remaining seed in the tournament and, therefore, host of the championship game.

Thanks to the Danes, Pritchard has gotten a reprieve.

"We got a gift," Stony Brook senior guard Anthony Jackson said. "Playing a game at home will mean everything for us. I am sure they have already put the bleachers back up by now."

Pritchard Gym has been kind to the Seawolves. In the past three seasons, Stony Brook has a 37-3 record at home. This season, only two teams beat the Seawolves at Pritchard. St. Francis of Brooklyn won 70-68 in a nonleague game Dec. 1, and New Hampshire got a 73-69 America East upset Feb. 8. UAlbany had a 10-point lead in the second half before losing earlier this month. The last time the Danes won there was 2011.

One thing that the Stony Brook basketball program loves about its home court is its intimateness.

Pritchard only seats 1,630, and you can bet it will be sold out Saturday. The school might even find a way to squeeze more people in.

To some, Pritchard might seem more like a high school gym. Others might say it's worse.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure," said Stony Brook sophomore forward Jameel Warney, the Player of the Year in the America East. "We are happy to have the final game at Pritchard. But we are just happy to be in the championship. I would go play on the moon as long as we're in the game."